The family of Agnes Wanjiru, allegedly murdered by a former British soldier in Kenya in 2012, has voiced anger after their 14-year wait for justice suffered another setback. An extradition hearing for ex-soldier Robert James Purkiss, accused of her murder, has been postponed until May 2027, meaning the case is set to enter its 15th year without a legal outcome.
Agnes Wanjiru was 21 when she disappeared in Kenya in 2012. Her body was found nearly three months later inside a septic tank near a British army training camp, with stab wounds to her chest and abdomen. She left behind a five-month-old daughter.
Hearing postponed days before travel
Relatives had been preparing to travel to Britain for an extradition hearing next month after Purkiss was arrested last year. The arrest followed a warrant issued by the Kenyan High Court after prosecutors presented evidence they said supported bringing a murder charge.
Agnes' niece Esther Njoki said the family had already raised money and made arrangements to travel to the UK for the hearing, which had been due to take place in just three weeks. She said relatives only learnt of the postponement through the UK embassy and had not been given an official explanation for the delay.
In a statement, Esther said: "We have exercised patience and endured uncertainty for years, but our patience is now being taken advantage of. Agnes deserves justice. Her daughter Stacy deserves answers about what happened. And as a family, we deserve to be treated with dignity and kept informed about proceedings that profoundly affect our lives."
Case background and legal proceedings
Purkiss is accused of murdering Agnes while he was deployed to Kenya for a six-week British Army training exercise. He denies the allegation and is fighting extradition to the country to face trial. The family has described the latest delay as "completely unacceptable" and is calling for proceedings to be expedited. A UK court is expected to give reasons for the postponement next week.
Agnes disappeared in March 2012 after spending an evening at a hotel in Nanyuki, around 124 miles north of the Kenyan capital Nairobi. British soldiers had been stationed in the area for training, and Agnes was last seen leaving the hotel with a soldier.
A Kenyan inquest concluded in 2019 that Agnes had been unlawfully killed by one or two British soldiers. In September last year, Kenya's High Court issued an arrest warrant for a British national after prosecutors presented evidence they said supported bringing a murder charge.
Court appearances and government response
Purkiss was arrested in the UK in November and appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in February via video link, where he was further remanded in custody. During an earlier hearing, prosecutors told the court Purkiss had been among British soldiers deployed to Kenya between February and April 2012.
Joel Smith KC said soldiers were given two days off during the training exercise and alleged they would head into town during their time off. He told the court: "There is evidence that when the soldiers were given time off, they would go into town, drink heavily, and they would pay local women for sex."
In the hearing, Mr Smith said the body was "significantly decomposed" and a post-mortem examination identified a 2cm stab wound to the lower abdomen and a collapsed lung. Purkiss' lawyers have said he intends to contest his extradition to Kenya.
Former Defence Secretary John Healey met Agnes' family during a visit to Kenya last year and pledged government support for efforts to secure justice. The UK Government said it remains committed to supporting Agnes' family but would not comment on ongoing legal proceedings.
